Shortly after midnight on 8 December 1941, two divisions of crack troops of the Imperial Japanese Army began a seabourne invasion of southen Thailand and northern Malaya. Their assault developed into a full-blown advance towards Singapore, the main defensive position of the British Empire in the Far East. The defending British, Indian, Australian and Malayan forces were outmanoeuvered on the ground and overwhelmed in the air and scattered on the sea. By the end of January 1942, British Empire Forces were driven back onto the island of Singapore itself, cut off from futher outside help. This book is based on the most extensive use of primary documents.